Hear No Evil
by Agent Poptart
Summary: "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil." Unfortunately for Katherine, she could see evil since her childhood years. When she's suddenly thrust in a crisis that goes way past the Cold War, she'll hear and speak it too. However, her newfound friends could help her find happiness after she's cut off from her family, and she just might find a new one in this ragtag team of mutants.
1. Chapter 1

**So, here is the Lioness story I mentioned in _A Dance of Fire and Ice_. I wrote this chapter before my other one, but since this takes place in First Class and the other in X2 and Last Stand, I thought I'd post those first, like the movies. I don't know which one I will update more frequently, but there will be hints at some stuff in _A Dance_ as to what happens in this, so just heads up. Anyways, enjoy!**

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She had been alienated her entire life by those around her. The kids at school were nice enough to her until they had to talk to her; that's when they became irritated by their inability to understand her. The teachers tried to understand her, but sign language was something they deemed of low priority; they blamed her for any misunderstandings over grades and schoolwork. Her mother desperately tried to help her—sometimes trying to change her, make her the little girl she had always wanted; she eventually left after her daughter became too strange for her. The only people who had ever accepted her and loved her for how she was were her father and baby brother.

Katherine Ward was born deaf, however her parents didn't find out until months later, almost an entire year. Amanda was settling down for a nap when she realized it was time to feed her precious daughter. Too lazy to get up out of bed to pick Katherine up, she settled for calling her daughter's name. The child continued to play with her blocks. Irritated, Amanda sighed and yelled louder. Katherine made no move to indicate she heard her mother. Finally, completely aggravated her baby girl was ignoring her commands, the woman stood up and approached the infant.

"Katherine Michelle Ward, what has gotten into you?" The child didn't even look up. "Look at me, dammit!" Amanda grabbed the girl's arm, causing Katherine to look up in terror. Her face softened when she realized it was just her mother. "Sweetie, why didn't you react when I called your name?"

The baby grinned up at Amanda and cooed softly. Her eyes held confusion though. She could not understand why her mother was moving her lips about at her like that. Was it supposed to mean something?

Slowly, almost as if she was scared of the response, Amanda held out her hand and snapped right by her child's ear. Katherine didn't even blink, just continued to smile goofily at her mother. Amanda let out a loud sob and cradled her daughter to her chest. This couldn't be happening, not to her! As if sensing her mother's distress, Katherine nuzzled Amanda's neck with her soft face and cooed gently.

Later that day, the doctor confirmed Amanda's fears. The Wards' daughter was deaf. Amanda cried herself to sleep, keeping the little girl always within her circle of warmth. Spencer held his wife tightly, desperately trying to comfort her despite his own despair.

Katherine grew up, learning to read lips and sign replies to those who could understand the gestures. She took to carrying a notepad with her everywhere for those who could not understand the language. Amanda and Spencer treated her normally, but everyone else alienated her because she couldn't hear them. She would never hear the insults hurled at her loudly in the halls. However, she wasn't stupid. She assumed they would snicker because of something someone behind her had said. She had a feeling those with the smug looks had just insulted her and knew she didn't hear or see it.

Ten years she spent in the silence. Then, one night, a miracle happened. Her newborn brother, Danny, was spending his first night in their shared room. She was awoken by a loud noise. A strange noise. An actual _noise_. She was completely in awe of the beautiful noise that she could _hear_. Then she became alarmed, as she realized the sound was her brother crying out. Katherine leapt to her feet and ran over to the crib, peeking through the bars to see the infant's face red with the effort of screaming so loudly. Ignoring the painful ringing in her ears from such a loud noise, she smiled gently at the child and softly shushed him. She made a few gentle noises at the back of her throat, humming she later realized, and he soon fell back to sleep. Pleased with herself, Katherine turned back to her bed when she suddenly stopped short. Her reflection terrified her. Her ears were missing. Her hair was pulled back, usually keeping her ears in plain sight. However, they weren't at the side of her head. Instead, feline ears sprouted from the crown of her head. Drifting downwards, her usually baby blue but now golden-amber eyes caught sight of something swishing around behind her. Grasping at her butt, she felt a soft furry tail had ripped through her shorts. Horrified at herself, she backed away and let out a loud shriek. This short sound soon turned into a continuous wailing until her parents ran in and froze at the sight of their daughter collapsed on the floor in the fetal position.

"Katherine?" Spencer whispered.

"Whuh?" She replied.

"Oh, sweetheart, what happened?" Amanda asked as she stroked her daughter's hair. "Where did you get this costume?"

"Nuh," she started speaking gibberish, causing her mother to furrow her eyebrows. Why wasn't her daughter speaking properly? She'd seen them do it long enough, why couldn't she do it now that she could hear?

"Katie-Kat, relax. We'll figure it all out." Spencer shot his wife a look. Amanda rose to her feet and checked on Danny, relieved that he had woken up. He had heard everything that happened. "Katherine, you can hear me, right?"

She nodded her head and stared up at her father with terrified eyes. He smiled and stroked her hair gently. He held her as she sobbed into his chest.

"Amanda, get the keys. We're taking her to the hospital," Spencer ordered his wife.

"What? Are you insane? We can't let anyone see her like this!"

"Why the hell not? Amanda, do you not see her? We need to figure out what happened and why she can suddenly hear!"

"Spencer, those nurses always gossip. We are _not_ letting anyone see her like this."

"_Amanda_! Worry about the safety and health of our daughter, not about your reputation!" Spencer scolded her angrily.

"I _am_ worried about her! What will the neighbors think of her if they see her like this? They'll notify the news channel immediately! We are _not_ letting them see her looking like this!" Amanda snapped back.

"Like what?" Spencer spat.

"Like… like a _freak_!"

Katherine wailed harder into Spencer's shirt and Amanda looked down, ashamed. Spencer glared at his wife and comforted his daughter as Amanda turned away to take Danny out of the room.

"It's okay, Katherine. You're not a freak," he whispered softly to her. "We'll understand this and figure things out."

She nodded slowly and soon he could hear her snores. Sighing, he scooted down and fell asleep with his daughter in his arms, her ears tickling his chin and her tail draped across his chest protectively.

In the time to come, Katherine learned to speak properly, Danny started to crawl, and Amanda left without a trace. A few days after her disappearance, Katherine managed to make her ears and tail go away, but lost her hearing as well. Spencer sat with her as she reenrolled in school, as they weren't sure if that was the best thing, and held her hand as she stared at the principal's lips, no longer able to drift away and take in the words being spoken. She was once again thrust into her world of silence.

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**So, what do you think? Please let me know in reviews! I really like my X-Men stories (it's an obsession) but I was always hesitant to post them. Let me know if you loved it, hated it, or just have some suggestions!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, one thing before I start this. YOU PEOPLE! I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! I posted this thinking, 'Oh, yeah, no one's going to pay much attention to it. Just another X-Men fanfic.' Then literally TEN MINUTES AFTER THE FIRST CHAPTER WAS POSTED someone followed the story. The next thing I know, I have like three people following and favoriting and I WASN'T GOING TO POST THIS UNTIL AFTER FINALS! You guys make it extremely hard to knock my fanfiction addiction, you know that? Enjoy!**

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The nineteen-year-old Katherine Ward allowed her little brother to drag her towards the park by their house. The boy was eager to get his uniform dirty. A smile tugged at the teaching assistant's lips. The blonde woman—dressed conservatively in a white blouse, gray pleated skirt, white knee-high socks, and a pair of Mary-Jane flats—followed Danny down the sidewalk. The adorable boy was proud of himself. Earlier today, in History, he had shown his class some sign language as they learned about Alexander Graham Bell. He had learned as he learned to speak, as his sister was around him more than his father. He loved his sister more than anything else in the world. She had raised him while their father worked and she never let anything bring her down. She was also a superhero, like those in the comics he loved reading. Sometimes, if he was good and hadn't caused any trouble that day, Katherine would show him her ears and tail. He marveled at the way the tail tore through the pants or hung underneath her skirt. He relished in the feeling of the way the fur tickled his palms when he ran them over her ears.

Katherine released her brother's hand and watched him carefully as he ran to the swings. She made her way to the bench, devoid of the usual housewives. It was getting colder, meaning they kept their children indoors so they wouldn't fall ill.

Keeping a close eye on Danny, she opened her notepad and started doodling. However, the pen froze and her body stiffened. Two young men, in their mid to late twenties, sat on either side of her. Katherine bit back a snarl. They sat there in silence for a few moments before the man on her left tapped her knee.

"Hello, Katherine!" Her eyes widened as she read what he was saying. "My name is Charles Xavier, and this is my friend Erik Lensherr."

'How do you know my name?' She scribbled onto the paper.

"I read your mind." She gave him a look and sincerely wished she could scoot away from the man who was clearly tripping. "I can assure you I'm not tripping. We're mutants just like you."

Although she had never heard the word 'mutants' before, she went with it.

'I highly doubt you're like me.'

Erik nudged her ribs with his elbow, drawing her attention to him.

"Show us then. Show us what you can do."

She looked around at the secluded playground before nodding. No one but the two men and Danny, should he glance over, would be able to see her. Closing her eyes, Katherine felt the familiar tug at her scalp and bottom. Her ears twitched as the wind tickled the fur and her tail brushed Erik's leg lightly.

"It looks weird, but… it's a blessing. I can hear because of this. I keep it hidden so I can work and come here with Danny," she explained quietly.

"It's beautiful," Erik assured her. "You don't need to hide it for the child or anyone else."

"Danny loves it. He thinks I'm like the superheroes from his comics." She smiled at her little brother as he laughed joyously from the swing. "I love him more than anything. So, to provide everything he needs, I also need to work."

"Katie-Kat!" Danny shrieked happily. "Push me! I wanna go higher!"

Katherine moved to get up, but Erik pushed her back down. She watched quizzically as he lazily waved his hand back and forth. Her brother's laughter increased.

"Wee! I'm flying! Look, Kat! I'm flyin—" He screamed as a link snapped and he flew through the air.

"Danny!" Katherine cried.

She rose to her feet and sprinted to catch her brother. The men only saw a blur as the girl ran across the playground and cradled the boy protectively. Erik and Charles walked over and saw that he was fine. His eyes lit up when he saw Erik.

"You're so cool! You pushed my swing from over there! Wow, what's your name? Can I get a picture with you? You're like… you're like… man, you're so cool, you're like no other superhero ever," Danny gushed excitedly.

"Daniel, don't scare the poor man," his sister scolded lightly.

"Danny, your sister has the opportunity to become her own superhero, and save everyone you know," Erik bent slightly to address the boy in Katherine's arms. "See, there is this bad guy who wants to destroy all human life." Katherine's eyes widened at this. "We are assembling a team of special people, like Katherine, to stop him."

"Really?"

"It's true," Charles stepped in. "Do you think we could have your permission to add Katherine to our team?"

"Of course! Katie-Kat, you _have_ to! The fate of the human race rests in your hands! Come on; we need to go right now!"

He climbed down from her arms and started dragging her home, the visible mutation disappearing as they left the playground. She glanced back to see Erik and Charles calmly following the two siblings.

* * *

Katherine couldn't believe Danny convinced her father to let her go and risk her life. It helped that the world was actually in trouble, and these men said they were working with the CIA. So, Katherine packed a bag and climbed into the car behind the other mutants. She was quiet during the drive. She couldn't hear anything they were saying, and she was never sure if she was pronouncing words properly when she couldn't hear. Also, she was a bit nervous about meeting others like her.

_'There's no need to be nervous,' _Charles' voice entered her mind. _'They've all been through the same thing.'_

_ 'With all due respect, Charles, I don't think they have.'_

Charles left her mind, consumed in his own thoughts. The girl was a good sport, considering the life she was given. Katherine was born deaf and, when given the gift of hearing, couldn't show her mutation in public. He hoped after this, mutants would be accepted, and everyone with physical mutations—like Katherine and Hank and Raven—could walk around without hiding.

* * *

The three mutants exited the car, and Katherine looked up at the department with wide eyes. The building was large and, although lacking personality, clean. It didn't looking dirty or run-down. Katherine turned and ran to catch up with the men, passing a few agents who smiled at her when she ran by. Erik and Charles led the teenager through the halls until they stopped at another set of grey double doors. However, when Katherine put a hand to the door to keep it open as she went in, she felt the vibrations of the music. She glanced back at the door as it closed, missing the feel of the bass on her palms. She could still slightly feel it beneath her feet, but it was faint.

Katherine turned back to the group and noticed everyone was staring at her. A warm blush crept onto her cheeks and she smiled shyly. She looked to Charles and Erik for help.

"I believe they're waiting for you to speak," Erik told her with a smirk.

Her eyes widened and she fumbled with her pad to get it open, only to drop her pen in the struggle. Turning a bright red, Katherine growled and quickly picked it up before writing something, burning with embarrassment throughout the ordeal.

With a nervous smile, she flipped it over to show them the note that read, 'Hi, I'm Katherine. I can't hear you, but I can read your lips.'

They blinked and continued to stare as if the processing of this information was taking time to fully load.

"I'm deaf," she said slowly so she could make sure she was speaking properly.

"Finally, as they slowly started to understand, Katherine huffed and looked away, pouting. She was suddenly attacked in a tight hug.

"GAH!"

The woman— based on the body shape—who had practically tackled her, was talking fast. She could feel the vibrations in the chest, as that was how short Katherine was. The petite blonde struggled in vain before finally giving up. The woman continued to hug and squeeze her until she was finally pulled away. Katherine saw a tall blonde woman, who was extremely pretty, grinning down at her.

"I'm sorry, but you're just so cute!" She gushed excitedly. "Hi, I'm Raven, Charles' sister."

Katherine nodded, mouth still slightly open in shock, and let the older woman drag her onto a couch. The others, sans Charles and Erik, joined them and studied the newest addition. She looked young. She was very short, smaller than Angel by an inch, and slender. Blond hair brushed her shoulders, and they noted her outfit.

"What do you do for a living?" The third, and last, female asked.

"Teach," she replied a bit more confidently.

"And any family?"

"My mom left because of my mutation," Katherine ventured from one and two word replies. "My dad works a lot. I raised my brother, Danny. He's nine."

A smile came upon her face as she talked with them. She felt like she truly belonged with these strangers.

* * *

Alex walked through the halls with Katherine. He didn't know why, but he had walked to the girls' room and had met up with her. She was friends with everyone, although she wasn't very close with Alex, but she seemed a bit closed off. However, she was beaming up at Alex, something she hadn't done before.

"You seem happy," he told her as they turned a corner and she waved to a few agents.

"I am."

That was another thing she did. She never sounded sure of herself. He didn't know how long she had been talking, but she sounded fine. Katherine pronounced things correctly, and she almost sounded normal.

"Do I get to know why?"

"I talked to Danny last night. He's happy that I'm here, but he wishes I could still push him on the swing."

"Sounds like a sweet kid." He smiled as her eyes lit up. She enjoyed talking about her family, especially her little brother. Alex would never experience that. His 'family' hated him, and no one would ever want one with him. He was dangerous, even for a mutant. He killed people… and destroyed families.

Alex listened as she talked. She was getting over her hesitation of talking. In fact, she wouldn't stop, not that he wanted her to. Out of everyone here, she seemed the most accepting of the fact that he was in solitary confinement. Sure, she may not be close to him, but he was closer to her than he was with anyone else… except maybe Darwin.

"He soared off the swing and he looked so free… that's why I'm here. For him," she finished as they walked into the Rec Room.

She waved to him before joining Angel and Raven, leaving him to walk over to Darwin and Sean. He grinned at the youngest mutant. The ginger amused everyone here, and Alex genuinely liked the kid. Even the agents, those that didn't generally like the mutants, laughed at his jokes. The kid was insane, but he had a good sense of humor and didn't take things personally.

"So you finally worked up enough courage to talk to Katherine?" Darwin asked as Sean waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Oh shut up."

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**Okay, so here's chapter two. And this is all I've written, so don't expect more like immediately after you read this. It's not happening. On another note, DID YOU GUYS SEE _Days of Future Past_? SO AMAZING! Loved it so much! But that's my MARVEL obsession coming out. Review with your thoughts on the story and even on the movie, I don't really care at the moment! I'm sleep deprived, jittery with my caffeine, and SO HAPPY YOU LIKE THE STORY!**


	3. Chapter 3

**So this chapter is a quick one and, to be perfectly honest, not my best. I wrote this between studying (MY LAST EXAMS ARE TOMORROW!) and I didn't really know how to get this part out of the way but still include some fun parts. Anyways, enjoy because I most certainly will not continue updating this quickly (I have a week off before summer courses begin... yay...)**

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Katherine woke up to see her roommates grinning down at her. Their faces were not pleasant, and—to put it frankly—terrified her a bit.

"Makeover!" Raven said excitedly, causing Katherine to panic. She liked her clothes. They didn't tear when she morphed.

The two girls ignored her struggles and pulled her out into the hall. Kat accidentally hit her foot on the wall and gained all attention as she cried out. A few agents moved as if to help, but Moira—realizing she wasn't in actual trouble—quickly got them back to work. Charles and Erik just watched with the other mutants in amusement as the blonde was dragged into the bathroom. Angel ran out and returned a few times, her arms filled with makeup bags and various items of clothing.

"No!" Katherine yelled firmly. "It barely covers my butt!"

Sean leaned forward eagerly, causing Alex to roll his eyes and smack him upside the head, as the older men shook their heads. _Teenagers._

"It'll look so pretty," Raven urged.

"Absolutely not!"

"Alright," Charles told the others. "Let's leave them to it."

They dragged a reluctant Sean away from the door and let Katherine be made over.

* * *

Katherine stared at her reflection in horror. She looked nothing like herself. Well, her mane of blonde hair was still the same. Even Raven and Angel, with their arsenal of heavy duty tools, couldn't tame the beast. She felt odd… definitely taller. Her roommates had forced her into one of Raven's shirts. It was quite long, meaning it could barely classify as a dress on Katherine. They had stuffed her feet into a pair of high-heeled boots and threw a jacket at her face before coating it in makeup. Kat couldn't even say what they put on her face, but it made her look like another person… older and even, dare she say it, prettier.

"Stop pouting," Raven ordered in the mirror. "You look great."

They then dragged her, yet again, into the hall and headed for the Rec Room. Panic swelled inside her body. The boys would see her! Worse, Alex and Sean would see her. Once more, she started to fight her friends. She couldn't be seen! Nope, it was time to hide and wipe away all the gunk. Their grips tightened and Angel kicked the door open.

"No one can see!"

Everyone immediately turned to see Angel and Raven holding a struggling woman. At first they wondered who they had kidnapped, but then they saw the golden eyes. Moira smirked as the men's jaws dropped. Katherine looked different. Her olive skin showed much more than when in her old clothes and the makeup made her eyes—as well as her other sharp facial features—more prominent. She felt her cheeks heat up as the males continued to stare.

"I told them not to do it," she said as an explanation.

"You look hot," Sean stated bluntly to the girl who never received compliments.

"I… I… I what?"

"You look attractive."

She blinked a few times before turning her head to Raven for confirmation. The taller blonde just nodded in agreement. Katherine's eyes drifted over Erik, Charles, and Darwin—who all smiled their encouragement—to land on Alex and Hank. Hank was blushing furiously as he looked only at Raven. _Typical Hank,_ she thought in amusement. Alex was staring at Katherine and nodded once. She looked… good. Yes, good was a safe word to use.

"Well, um, thank you… I think."

* * *

The younger mutants were all situated on the couches in the Rec Room, enjoying the company while waiting for Charles and Erik to return. Raven seemed to have found some liquor, although Kat only knew that from her heightened sense of smell. Katherine sat by Sean—who was slouched in his armchair—with her legs tucked underneath her. He poked her and nodded to Raven, who had just begun to speak.

"We should think of codenames." _Sounds like something Danny would say._ "We've government agents now, we should have secret codenames." They all nodded. It seemed like an interesting idea. They could have some fun with it. "I want to be called Mystique."

Sean smacked the arm of the couch, drawing Kat's attention. "Damn! I wanted to be called Mystique," he said jokingly.

"Well tough," Raven replied with a smirk. "I called it." Suddenly a wave of blue skimmed over her body before Sean was sitting in her place. "And I'm way more mysterious than you."

Everyone clapped, including Sean. A shocked—but impressed—expression was firmly planted on his face.

"Kat," Raven called after waving her hand to gain her attention. "What can you do?"

She looked down and fidgeted. Her mutation wasn't invisible like Charles' and Erik's or pretty like Raven's. However, she wanted to hear her new friends' voices and didn't want to rely on nudges to know who was talking. So, Katherine stood up and felt the familiar tug. She silently thanked Raven for the dress as nothing ripped to reveal anything. Her left ear twitched as she heard air rushing past a glass object. Her hand shot out and caught Alex's drink before it hit the ground.

"Ta-da," she said weakly.

Sean's fingers brushed her tail and he let out a laugh. He then started clapping, the others soon joining in. Never before had Katherine felt more proud of her mutation.

"Well, I must say, your mutation is much more adorable than mine," Darwin told her before he approached the fish tank.

"Okay, I'll bite," she replied with a smile. "What are you?"

"Well, Darwin is already a nickname, and, you know, it sort of fits. Adapt to survive and all. Check this out."

He plunged his head into the water. They all gasped as gills appeared on the side of his face. _Whoa,_ Kat thought. _That's awesome._ Shaking his head to ride himself of the water, he pointed to Angel.

"What about you?"

She stood up and turned so they all could see her back. She glanced over her shoulder and grinned while saying, "My stage name was Angel… and it kinda fits." Insect-like wings peeled off from her skin and fluttered, allowing her to float a bit.

"You can fly?" Raven breathed in awe.

"And uh…" She spat and it hit the statue outside on the head. A few seconds later, the head started sizzling as it sort of disintegrated.

She smiled and bowed before sitting back down. Katherine turned to Sean and looked at him expectantly.

"What are you going to be?"

"I'm going to be… Banshee."

"Why do you want to be named after a wailing spirit?" Hank asked.

"You might want to cover your ears," he suggested.

They all heeded his warning and waited. Sean leaned forward and turned to grin at the others. Finally, he let out a shriek and fell back as the glass table and window shattered. Alex looked at Kat worriedly when she inhaled sharply and whimpered, her face scrunched up in pain. Hank quickly realized something.

"Your mutation allows you to hear," he guessed.

"Yeah," she sighed. "But only like this. Can't really go out with these things." She gestured to her ears and tail. "But hey, I managed to survive ten years without them, so why can't I go ten more, right?" She shrugged and smiled at them all.

Katherine really didn't care about her deafness. Yes, it was awful she ended up like that, but her mutation allowed her to hear. However, if it hadn't manifested her body, she wouldn't really mind. She wouldn't have known any different. It would just be normal, not anything heartbreaking. She knew the others wouldn't understand. Being deaf would be a nightmare for them, but it was sometimes peaceful. She didn't have to hear all of the loud noises that overwhelmed her at times, especially with all of her heightened senses, hearing included.

"What your name?" Darwin turned the attention from her.

Everyone turned to look at Hank, who looked away bashfully. He didn't really need nor want a codename.

"How about Big Foot?" Alex taunted the genius.

Katherine glared at him and he gave her an innocent look. Hank _was_ a bozo. However, she knew he didn't appreciate being made fun of for his mutation, especially by other mutants. Hank was the only one with a mutation he had trouble hiding.

"Well you know what they say about men with big feet," Raven told him, glancing down at his feet, which were tiny in comparison with Hank's. "And, uh, yours are kinda small."

Alex blushed and shot Katherine a dirty look when she laughed loudly with the others. Served him right. Darwin recovered first and asked him the same question that had been going around the small group.

"Alex, what is your gift? What can you do?"

"It's not…" Katherine looked at him with curious eyes. "I just can't do it. I can't do it in here."

"Can you do it out there?"

"Why don't you just do it out there?" Raven asked him loudly.

"Come on!" "Alex!" "Alex!"

They all chanted his name, Hank gleefully joining in as Alex was the one uncomfortable now. They cheered when he reluctantly got up and headed for the destroyed window.

"That's the spirit!" Sean called as they followed him eagerly.

"Get down when I tell you," Alex ordered.

"'Get down when I tell you,'" Katherine and Sean mocked in good humor. He had been kind of an ass especially today.

"Get back!" He yelled.

They hid behind the wall before leaning back out a few seconds later. They wanted to actually _see_ Alex's mutation. He made to demonstrate but stopped when he saw them.

"Get back!" He tried once more. They didn't budge at all. "Whatever," he muttered to himself.

He gyrated his body and three glowing red rings emerged from his torso. The first two flew in random directions, dissipating within a few moments, but the third hit the statue head-on and sliced it in half. Alex smiled a bit as his newfound friends—something he never really had before—all cheered excitedly as they jumped up and down. His eyes landed on Katherine. Her amber eyes were wide and were filled with happiness. Her ears were rotating repeatedly, taking in all the sounds the others were making, and her tail was waving around in excitement. She looked so happy and, for once, gave him a huge grin. He smiled back and started walking towards the group. She sure as hell made this whole thing better than solitary confinement.

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**Right, so, that was the third chapter... it'll get better! Promise! On another note, I GOT TICKETS TO THE NIGHT BEFORE OUR STARS! So excited! However, I'll be seeing that in Mississippi... a very _small_ town in Mississippi... so chances are I'll be there all alone with my mother and grandparents... awesome... BUT I'M STILL SO EXCITED! Right, review with your thoughts on the story and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Until next time!**


	4. Chapter 4

**You people are so lucky I am such a procrastinator when it comes to school... and that I'm addicted to this website. I spent like an hour working on this (and debating whether or not I should add the next part to this chapter or not) before finally deciding to post it. So, you might actually be getting the full story before summer even begins...**

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Katherine sat on the couch once more, calmly watching her friends goof off. Raven, Angel, and Hank were dancing to "The Hippy Hippy Shake," Raven standing on the other couch, Angel flittering around beside her, and Hank hanging from one of the lights. Sean and Alex were, for some odd unknown reason, hitting Darwin with table legs, the wood smashing against his rock back. Kat shook her head and returned to her doodling. She was glad they were having fun, but she didn't think the agents would appreciate cleaning up after them.

"What the hell?" Katherine's head shot up when she hear Moira's whisper. "What are you _doing_?" Everyone stopped what they were doing and Kat stood up to stand beside the others. "Who destroyed the statue?"

"It was Alex," Hank immediately ratted out. Kat would've snickered at Alex's disbelieving look, but it wasn't the time for laughing.

"No!" Raven stumbled forward, the liquor from earlier affecting her already. "Havok. We have to call him Havok. That's his name now." Katherine smacked her palm against her forehead. Raven should have really stopped talking then. "And we were thinking, you should be Professor X and _you_ should be Magneto." Her blue eyes shone with excitement and so proud of herself for thinking of the codenames.

"Exceptional," Erik murmured under his breath sarcastically.

"I expect more from you," Charles told his sister disappointedly.

They walked away, Raven's eyes showing heartbreak with each step her brother took. Katherine placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. If it had been anyone else, Raven would've shaken off the hand immediately. However, it was Katherine, the girl she had already gotten so close to. No matter what happened, she would never be able to shake the smaller blonde from her life or conscience.

* * *

Kat had to admit, the agents worked fast. Twelve hours after Sean had destroyed the window, it was replaced and the courtyard was cleaned. However, Raven was still hungover and upset. After Charles had left, she had taken to drinking some more. Katherine had awoken to her retching into the trash bin by the door. Angel had already left to get the poor girl a coffee. Katherine, having no previous experience with alcohol despite being of age, just settled for holding her hair and rubbing her back soothingly.

"I feel awful," Raven croaked weakly.

"Well, you really shouldn't drink so much," Kat reprimanded half-heartedly. "This is what happens."

"I just wanted to have fun…"

"How did Hank react to your advances?" Raven looked at her in surprise. Kat grinned and pointed to her ears. "Not really hard to hear you from the other side of the room with these. Besides, you weren't exactly being subtle. Sean, Alex, and Darwin were having a field day."

"Ugh, he's probably so embarrassed! He had to sp…" She took a moment to vomit once more before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "He had to spend a whole night with them teasing him. They enjoy doing that. Why do they do that?"

"They're men. It's what they do. It's how they show their affection." Raven gave her a doubtful look. "I listen to their tone! You were too drunk to notice anything, but they meant everything in good fun. Any hurt feelings aren't intentional."

"You are scarily in tune with social tones and such," Raven muttered.

"For a deaf person, maybe. However, I still have a lot to learn before I'm at the level of those who can hear."

"I've got some coffee!" Angel exclaimed as she burst in loudly.

She laughed as Raven groaned and rubbed her temples. Bending down, Angel handed the blonde the hot beverage and patted her shoulder twice sympathetically.

"Serves you right," she told her. "Hank looked absolutely mortified last night. He's totally into you but I think you were a bit too forward for the shy genius."

"That's an extreme understatement," Katherine snorted. "I think he'll just have to get used to it. He's one of those guys that will never make a definite move, so you'll have to just go in there and take what you want."

"Have you ever met one of those in real life?" Angel asked her teasingly.

"No… but I've read about them!"

Angel chuckled and shouldered her lightly. Kat shot her a look. There was nothing wrong with learning about social events and cues from books. They were highly educational and made more sense than actually socializing. Before this, she spent most of her time dealing with young children and teachers. Now she was fitting in with people her age. _If only Mom could see me now…_

* * *

Come evening, Raven was back to her normal self. Kat, deciding to throw all inhibitions to the wind, allowed herself to be dressed similarly to the night before. Might as well start acting like a proper nineteen year old, not a deaf young woman who had to grow up too fast to raise her baby brother.

"Well, I'm glad you've finally decided to join our generation," Raven teased her as they walked to the newly cleaned Rec Room.

"Eh, the 40s and 50s are history." Kat shrugged and tugged at her dress a bit. "However, you need to invest in pants or longer shirts."

"That's a dress, Kat."

"Um, no, it is not. I know what a dress feels like. This is most certainly _not_ a dress." The two girls shook their heads at their protégé uneducated in the ways of fashion. "For one thing, it's so tight that the fabric ripped to allow room for my tail. Dresses are supposed to be loose."

"Maybe the dresses you wore growing up, but dresses are different now, babe. The guys like these types of dresses." Raven dropped her a wink and whistled. "_Damn_, girl! Your curves are looking groovy tonight."

"Raven, has a guy ever said that to you in reality?" Angel asked with a smirk.

"No, but they'll be saying that to her when we drag her out to a club one of these days."

Kat shot her a scandalized look as if Raven had suggested Katherine was having an affair with the neighbors. She would most definitely _not_ be going to a club. Nope, she was a respectable young lady who had responsibilities at home…

She looked visibly sadder as the thought cut off. She didn't have any responsibilities at home. She wasn't even sure if home was home anymore. Kat had no idea how long this would last, and she wasn't sure if she could go back after this. She had bonded so much with the other mutants in a matter of a week. Could she really just turn her back on them once everything was said and done?

"Why is Kat so gloomy?" Sean asked as they entered the room.

Alex immediately turned to see what was wrong. Katherine did look extremely upset over something. _Did they say something to her?_ He wondered to himself. He bet they did. They probably forced her into that outfit… although her curves were looking groovy. _Wait, what? Did I just say groovy?_ If he ever said groovy again in his life—in his head or otherwise—he would not be a happy camper. He did _not_ approve of the word and hoped it would die soon.

"I'm not gloomy! Just thought of something disturbing for a moment, but I'm better now!" Kat smiled at the ginger and plopped down on the couch beside him. She tilted her head back to look at Alex. "So, am I going to see you get your ass kicked by Darwin, who insists he's the Master of Pinball?"

He shook his head and turned to Darwin. He whistled innocently and looked anywhere but at Alex.

"Really? Master of Pinball? Guess we'll just have to see."

* * *

Kat sat with the others and watched Alex completely destroy Darwin in pinball. Apparently he was an absolute whiz kid at the addicting game. Which, to be perfectly honest, was unfair. Now they couldn't play without having Alex's score haunting their minds and throwing them off.

"Jesus, man, you are _killing_ me," Darwin moaned in exasperation. He was supposed to be the best!

"Don't beat yourself up. I've had a lot of spare time."

"I didn't know the circus was in town."

Katherine's ears twitched and she whirled around to see two agents smirking at them. Admittedly, one was looking quite reluctant as if he was roped into it, but the other was sneering at them gleefully. His eyes were focused on her specifically. _Of course,_ she thought to herself. _I'm the one they've actually seen._

"Hey, come on, honey," he spoke to Angel. "Give us a little…" he made flying sounds and moved his hands like wings. "No? Well what about you, Kitty Cat? Want to rub against me like a good little pussy cat?" Katherine jerked back in disgust. Alex felt himself getting progressively angrier as the agent's leer got wider. Hank got up and approached the window. "Come on, let's see the foot. There it is. Come on, Big Foot, let's go." They could his disappointed exclamations when Hank closed the curtain on them.

"They're just guys being stupid," Raven assured Angel and Kat.

"Guys being stupid, I can handle. Okay? I've handled that my whole life." Angel seemed close to tears as she continued, "I'd rather a bunch of guys stare at me with my clothes off than the way these ones stare at me."

"At us," Kat whispered. She had never had someone talk to her like that. It was positively disgusting. Were all men like that? Because those she had experience with—mostly the mutants she was surrounded by—were polite and didn't treat her like that. Was it purely a human trait?

The thoughts were erased from her mind as she heard a strange series of noises. A thud followed by consecutive crunches and snaps. She gasped in horror and stared at the curtain, mortified. Was she really hearing that, or was she misinterpreting the sounds?

"Oh, make it stop," she whispered desperately.

"Kat? Make what stop?" Sean asked worriedly.

"Listen!" She ordered. "Do you hear it? Oh, God, make it stop! Please, make it stop!"

They wouldn't stop. The horrifying noises, the crunching and snapping of bones, wouldn't stop. She started trembling as they got louder. Alex rushed over and held her by the shoulders, trying to find out what was happening to her.

"Kat, what can you hear?" He demanded urgently.

She stared at him and in a broken voice whispered, "Death."

* * *

**So this last part was actually the first scene I had planned out. It was the whole reason I made Lioness. I had always wondered what the thuds would sound like someone with heightened senses and how they would react, especially to someone whose default emotion was gentleness (yeah my mind blanked on an actual word besides compassion because that seemed too intense for her at this point in time). I was actually going to add the whole Shaw thing to the end of this, but then I thought it would be much more exciting and intense if it ended with her brokenly whispering that one word that held so much conviction, yeah? Let me know if you hated it or loved it! Until next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Funny story... I've had this written for a while but then I had to go to Mississippi to visit family (and the WiFi was messed up) and then summer courses started... but here it is. I know it might go back quickly, but I'm not very good at writing action scenes, and it is a bit short. Sorry about that, but I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

_"What can you hear?" Alex asked urgently._

_ Kat looked up at him and in a broken voice whispered, "Death."_

His blue eyes narrowed as he tried to understand. She wasn't making sense to anyone in the room. Then they heard the thuds. Kat shuddered once more and disappeared into herself. She couldn't hear anything, which was bliss, but her brain replayed the sounds over a few times.

Alex looked over his shoulder as Raven asked, "What's that?"

They made for the window, Alex having to drag Katherine over, and opened the curtain. They couldn't see anything at first, but then Katherine pointed up. Against the pale backdrop of the moon were two figures. One disappeared in a puff of red mist and let the other free fall. She couldn't hear his cry for help, but Katherine knew what was coming. She impulsively flinched when he hit the ground, imagining what it sounded like this close. Alex looked down when he felt a tug on his shirt. Katherine, wide-eyed in fear, was pressed tightly to his side and was clutching his clothing desperately. Raven cried when dozens of bodies fell from the sky. They huddled together, watching as a red-skinned mutant started taking down agents in the courtyard. He appeared and disappeared erratically and killed men in a heartbeat. One of the few agents still standing spoke to the mutants.

"Get back! Do not leave that room! We are under attack!"

Their eyes widened when the teleporter appeared behind him. The agent looked at them in confusion as they yelled, "Shoot! Shoot!" He whirled around to get a knife in the chest and one across the throat. The mutant grinned at them before continuing his murder spree. Darwin, seeing his friends' faces, took charge.

"Stay here my ass! Let's go!"

Alex pulled Katherine along after the others. She was looking sick to her stomach. They skidded to a halt when a group of agents crouching by a corner waved for them to go back. Did they not understand that was happening by the room too?

"Get back!" One ordered.

"We can help! We can help!"

They moved to run around the corner but a shower of bullets and wave of fire soared towards them from the main atrium. Having nowhere else to go, the terrified group of mutants sprinted back to the Rec Room. They watched everything get destroyed around them. A twister mysteriously appeared and tore apart Cerebro. Hank looked down, defeated. Katherine gripped Alex's arm as the red-skinned mutant hopped into the room, a nicely dressed young man stepping in from the other window.

"Wait!" An agent was still alive in the hall. It sounded like the ass from before. "You want the mutants? They're right through that door. Just let us _normal_ people go." The group, sans Katherine, felt betrayed. "We're no threat…" A gunshot silenced him.

The huddled group stumbled back when the doors flew open. A man in a ridiculous helmet swaggered in. They knew he must have been Sebastian Shaw. Of course he would attack when Charles and Erik were gone, only the inexperienced mutants still at 'home.'

"Where is the telepath?" He asked his men.

"Not here," the teleporter replied in a heavy Russian accent.

He shrugged. "Too bad. Well, at least I can take this silly thing off." Katherine thought he still looked ridiculous without the helmet. _Dick._ "Good evening. My name is Sebastian Shaw, and I am not here to hurt you."

"Freeze!" Alex heard a lone agent call. _Poor guy. Should've kept his mouth shut._

"Azazel."

The teleporter, Azazel, appeared behind the agent and stabbed him right in the back. Katherine winced and felt a tickle at her spine. _Must've hurt._

"My friends," Shaw continued as if nothing happened, "there is a revolution coming. When mankind discovers who we are, what we can do, each of us will face a choice. Be enslaved or rise up to rule." Katherine knew he was appealing to Angel. "Choose freely, but know that if you are not with us, then, by definition, you are against us. So, you can stay and fight for the people who hate and fear you, or you can join me and live like kings…" His eyes fell on Angel. "And queens."

Tears filled Angel's eyes as she took Shaw's outstretched hand. She knew no one would join her, but she knew this was what she wanted. She still wanted them by her side.

"Come on. We don't belong here. And that's nothing to be ashamed of."

No one moved, just as she suspected. Darwin muttered to Alex, "We have to do something." He shook his head, knowing exactly what Darwin wanted. The older mutant shoved him, drawing the attention of Katherine. She sensed Darwin wasn't angry, just desperately grasping at a plan. She released Alex' arm and watched everything unfold. Darwin joined Shaw's line, shouted, "Alex!" while grabbing Angel. Alex sent an energy ring towards Shaw, only to have it absorbed. She watched as Darwin tried to attack Shaw, but ended up swallowing the ring. His body struggled to adapt, turning to metal and rock before looking to Alex. He held his hand out and crumbled to ash.

* * *

The young mutants sat outside the department as recently arrived agents bustled about. Katherine spared a glance at Alex, who was sitting alone and glaring at his hands. She sighed and started to walk over, feeling safe enough to hear again. She hesitantly approached his back and stopped, unsure of what to do.

"You shouldn't blame yourself," she said as she sat down beside him.

"Shut up," he growled. He wasn't in the mood for this shit.

"No! Alex it wasn't completely your fault." His anger towards her subsided into confusion. _Completely?_ "You had no idea Shaw could do that. Yes, your energy was what killed Darwin, but _you_ didn't. Shaw did." He was unsure of where she was going with this. "If Shaw had taken your gun and shot Darwin, would you think you killed him?"

"Shaw didn't take my gun," Alex snapped. "I gave it to him."

"Pretty sure he took it. You meant to hurt him, but he stole that power. This isn't _all_ your fault. He raised an eyebrow. "The plan was incredibly stupid."

"It was a heat of the moment thing!"

"Still stupid."

Alex chuckled and shook his head. Seeing this, she smiled and started dragging him towards the others. He was less angry, meaning he was allowed to socialize. They all sat in front of the rubble and waited. The agents said Charles and Erik would be there soon. Kat had no doubt that they would be sent home, and part of her was happy. However, most of her was reluctant to leave. Shaw was still out there, and he just made things personal. And Alex… he would go back to prison, and she never wanted him to there again. She couldn't even imagine how maddening solitary confinement could be.

_What?_ She looked down to see Alex's hand wrapped around hers. She blinked a few times to make sure she wasn't imagining anything. Nope, still there. _Oh Lord… I'm in so much trouble_, she thought. His large hand should have felt foreign to her, but it fit perfectly in her small one. _It's like I'm trapped in some romance novels those housewives fawn over._

"Oh thank goodness," Raven suddenly whispered.

Kat looked up to see Charles rushing over, concern for his sister etched into his features.

"Raven?" He called.

The tall blonde launched herself at him and they embraced warmly. Once they pulled apart Charles looked over at the others.

"We've made arrangements for you to be taken home immediately."

"We're not going home," Sean immediately argued.

"What?"

"He's not going back to prison."

"He killed Darwin," Alex snapped.

"All the more reason for you to leave. This is over," Charles insisted.

"Darwin's dead, Charles," Raven told him.

"And we can't even bury him," Kat added.

"We can avenge him," Erik spoke up.

"Erik, a word, please," Charles hissed after seeing the teenagers' eyes light up. "They're just kids."

"No. They _were_ kids. Shaw has his army, we need ours."

Charles stared at Erik a few moments, debating whether this was a good idea. They were just kids, no matter what Erik said. However, he was right. The reason they brought them here was to stop Shaw's plans. That still applied. Sighing, the professor turned to the others.

"We'll have to train. All of us."

"Well, we can't stay here," Moira told him. "Even if they reopen the department, it's not safe. We've got nowhere to go."

"Yes, we do."

* * *

**So, what did you all think? Review with your thoughts and know more will be out eventually! Until next time!**


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